User blog:KeRSSS31592/A New Vampire
The origins of the Vampire are found within Slavic folktales passed down from generation to generation. They were originally described as vicious undead monsters who awakened at night to prey upon innocent townsfolk. Often cursing and killing peasants, vampires were portrayed as evil and nonhuman. As seen in Folktales such as Bucket of Blood ''and ''The Vampire, vampires had little to no characterization. The descriptions of who they were characteristically are either shallow or nonexistent. The extent to which a vampire was originally described was gathered from their vile actions or the result thereof. In Bram Stroker’s Dracula, the Vampire takes a drastic turn. Gone are the days of a soulless monster who stalks the night and drinks blood. Instead of characterizing Dracula as a dull beast, Bram Stroker creates a stunning comparison between a vampire and normal human beings. No longer seen as a callous, sadistic being, vampires possess common traits and emotions. Dracula is an emotional character who is driven by his love for Mina. The new depiction of a vampire created a connection between mankind and monster that had not previously existed. Audiences and readers now began to question what drew the difference between man and monster and in turn, what was keeping them from becoming a monster too? This initial transition into a more relatable and sympathizing character creates a bridge into modern depictions of vampires. Modern society has broken down the barriers between men and vampires to an even greater extent. In Bram Stroker’s story, vampires were still mysterious, seemingly otherworldly beings however, in modern depictions, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer,'' this difference is erased. Dracula in Stroker’s story was a foreigner from a distant land who traveled far from London. Dracula possessed the characteristics and oddities of a stranger come to a new country and was looked upon as an outsider . In the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer, vampires can be anyone. Even students at the school the main character, Buffy, attends are vampires. This furthers the similarities between the average everyday citizen and blood thirsty vampires and creates an even more relatable vampire. The vampires in the show are still villains and continue to kill yet, they do much of the same things most other humans do. They attend school, have friends (although they may become food), and put one shoe on at a time. This creates a more familiar and friendly interpretation of a vampire. Having been originally depicted as bloodthirsty monsters, vampires are able to blend into the society they belong to. A strong distinction between the original vampire and the “new vampire” is seen within their characterization level of connection with society. References: Stoker, Bram. Dracula. 1897. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990. "Bucket of Blood." (Authord unknown; acquired from d2l PDF) Russian Fairy Tales. 2nd ed. N.p.: Random House, n.d. Print. Stoker, Bram. "Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2017. Caffee, N. (2017). Unit 1: From Folklore to Fandom Panopto. Retrieved from https://arizona.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=5dbd47a5-ca96-4f95-92c4-798ef39e4b1c Category:Blog posts